intoxicated yoda

hey MLMR...i really don't know if anything i'm about to write here will be relevant to your situation or not but take it for what it's worth. not long ago I had some issues that vexed me greatly. i was at the point i was about to say screw it and go get a carton of smokes and try to make up for lost time. my world was crashing down around me and i was powerless to stop it. doing nothing was torture but doing anything only made things exponentially worse. no where to run and no where to hide. so in desperation i decided to try gratitude and prayer. at the time i couldn't think of much to be grateful for because all i could see was the disaster in front of me so i decided i would be grateful for that. sounds stupid i know, to be grateful for the circumstances that i'm hoping the gratitude will abate but i never claimed to be an intellect. Then I branched out and started being grateful for my next breath, the sunshine, the rain, the water i was drinking. then i called out to my Creator and thanked it for watching out for me and those i cherish. I wasn't perfect. I had days I wouldn't think about gratitude and sometimes i'd even shake a fist at that Creator. But as the days and weeks went on I came into some wisdom and that's what changed the game and here it is. Your thoughts are not yours. none of them. we think they are cause it seems like we can control them but we can't. once you understand that concept any guilt you have crushing you should start to fade. now, we do have freewill in that we can give power to those thoughts through our attention and our actions or we can ignore them. this is what connects or disconnects those thoughts to our emotions. If you've been giving power to the wrong thoughts the disconnection process will be unpleasant. That process is simple but not easy. you must not act on the thoughts that hurt you and you must act on the thoughts that lift you up. use your discernment. good judgement comes from wisdom. wisdom comes from bad judgement. pray and be grateful. smile at your Creator and it will smile back. put this to the test. you don't need to join any religion or cult and no special postures or hand signs are necessary. the gratitude and prayers you need are already inside you. just give them some attention and let them stir your emotions and keep it between you and whatever power you choose to honor. i hope this will be of some help to you.

we've all been brainwashed by the idiot box we call television. it makes us want to consume things that we shouldn't by suggesting we will become like the glamourous image we see. the truth is we are already perfect from our creator with a few little flaws sprinkled in to make us unique. undoing the brainwashing can be painful and traumatic, at least it was for me, might still be as far as I know, but that's the quest and you do it because you determined you are worth it.

congrats @Runfreeyou are an inspiration

congrats @notsmokinjo who says quitters never win? i hope you had a remarkable day!!!

@Penguin good luck with your endeavor. i do understand where you are coming from and don't really disagree with you, however, the 2 things you cannot legislate without giving power to tyrants is intelligence and morality. In this case, context is everything so be careful for what you wish.

Congrats @johnny5and thank you for the encouragement and support you gave me in my quit. Stay blessed my brother

congrats @Genecanuck2 months is a big deal. keep doing what you are doing and trust in yourself. you are stronger than this addiction and you've got 2 months worth of proof behind you.

Thanks everybody. I don't think I'd have gotten this far without the support of this forum. I hope everyone has a great day and if y'all still drinking throw one back for me cuz I quit that too!! yeah, i know. I'm just no fun anymore. Hey @Reciprocity Did your maid bring any gloves? I got a shed out back that needs painting. hahaha and yes, time certainly does fly.

Congrats @Stewbum on one year quit and welcome to the Lido Deck. Hope you had a great day.

how you doing @Kate18? you still ridin' with us? life comes at us pretty hard sometimes and we stumble so buckle up stay with us.

congrats @Stewbum well done!!

@Breath-of-Power getting started is the hardest part. you body will resist change because it is wired for homeostasis. free your mind from the addiction and the body will have to follow. one thing i have found recently that helps me is to take Vitamin B3 in the form of nicotinic acid. There is a flush that goes along with it. My skin turns red and feels like it's on fire but after that goes away I'm more relaxed and I have much less mental chatter in my head. I feel like it could have made my transition to being a non smoker alot easier. Anyhow, research it, ask your doctor. It's supposed to help with addiction so maybe it could be an aid even if it's only a placebo effect. Stay strong and stay quit

Welcome aboard the train @Dejvis93. You've already got great advice from the veterans. All I will add is look into nicotinic acid...aka niacin...aka Vitamin B3. I've been fascinated with it lately as it is used for all types of addictions and mental disorders so of course I tried it and of course I took the mega dose. Does it work? I don't know but I did enjoy the flush I got. This isn't a recommendation however. It's just what I do. Do your research and consult your doctor before you decide it's right for you. Anyway, glad you decided to quit and came here to get some support.

@jillarcongratulations on 8 years quit. you've been an inspiration and a guide to many who have come here for support. I know you helped me get through the long rough patch I had at the start of my quit and I thank you. I hope you have a wonderful day today and everyday. Happy Quitaversary!!